As a hairdresser who stands for 10 hours every day, why did I secretly regard the portable clothes steamer as a "life-saving tool"?
Let me be honest first.
If you had told me 10 years ago that one day I would seriously write an article about "steam ironing machines", I would probably have burst out laughing.
And then I would have continued cutting my hair.
Because in my mind, this kind of thing has always belonged to -
the living items of the generation of my mother.
It's not mine.
Nor is it something that a hairdresser who smells hair gel all day, stirs up hair debris, and is so busy that she has no time for lunch would care about.
But sometimes life is like this.
The things you thought you would never care about, turn out to be the things you can't live without every day.
For me, this thing is
a portable clothes steamer.
It was on a very ordinary Tuesday that I truly realized that "wrinkled clothes" would ruin the professional appearance.
It wasn't a wedding.
It wasn't a photo shoot.
Nor was it an important client meeting.
It was just an ordinary working day.
That morning, I overslept.
It wasn't as bad as being late, but it was definitely the kind of situation where I had no time to choose my clothes.
I grabbed a black shirt from the chair and sniffed it.
It had no smell. Very good.
Put it on directly and go out.
When I got to the store and looked in the mirror to tidy up my hair, I realized that...
The sleeves of that shirt were wrinkled like a map.
It was still that kind of complex terrain map.
But it was too late by then.
The first customer had already sat down.
She stared at me in the mirror for a while, then smiled and said:
“Rough morning?”
It's not mockery.
But it's not praise either.
At that moment, I had only one thought:
Oh no, I look like someone who just crawled out of a laundry basket.
Since then, I began to take seriously a matter that I had completely ignored before.
Clothes.
Not fashion.
Not brand.
Not matching.
That is -
It looks clean, smooth, and like an adult.
Because in this industry, customers actually do pay close attention to many details.
They won't say it directly.
But they will observe:
Your shoes
Your nails
Your apron
Your collar
And -
The crease on the sleeve of yours.
To be honest, I used to really hate ironing.
It's not because it's bad.
It's because it's too troublesome.
You need:
An ironing board
A piece of space
A few minutes
A little patience
And my daily life is like this:
The client arrived early.
A colleague took a leave.
The phone kept ringing.
Lunch was changed to 3 p.m.
So, when I first used the portable steamer for clothes, my reaction was actually quite simple:
"Oh, this thing is actually so convenient!"
There is no sense of ceremony.
There are no complicated steps.
Just as natural as using an electric kettle.
Now, my portable steamer is used almost every day, and the scenes are very realistic.
Not the kind in the advertisement.
It's real life.
Before opening the store in the morning, I will do a rather boring but very important thing.
Steam my apron.
Just 30 seconds.
But the effect is very obvious.
The apron will become more straight.
It will look cleaner.
And it will also resemble a professional who is working seriously.
This sounds insignificant.
But the customers will actually notice it.
Especially for the first-time clients.
Sometimes, the client will arrive earlier than you.
This is the norm in the hairdressing industry.
As soon as you put down your bag and haven't even taken your first sip of coffee, the front desk will say:
"Your 9 o'clock client has arrived."
And in your mind, you will think:
I haven't even finished getting my clothes together.
At this moment, a portable steamer can truly save lives.
It's not an exaggeration. It's true.
On business trips, that's when I rely most on the portable steamer.
If you often travel, you must know:
The clothes in the suitcase are almost certain to be wrinkled.
No matter how you fold it.
No matter how careful you are.
It will still wrinkle.
This is a physical law.
I used to pray that the hotel would have an iron.
Later, I realized that this was just a matter of luck.
Now I'll simply bring a portable steamer.
The problem has been solved.
The mind has become calm.
Once, I almost missed out on a very important opportunity because of a crumpled shirt.
That was a photography job.
It's not a big production, but it's very important to me.
Because this is the first time we're working together with the client.
I prepared all the tools in advance.
Scissors.
Comb.
Spray.
All have been checked.
The only thing that hasn't been checked is my clothes.
When I arrived at the scene and changed my clothes, I found that the white shirt had been pressed so badly that it was no longer recognizable.
And there was no iron at the scene.
At that moment, I really felt a bit panicked.
Later, a makeup artist took out a small steamer from her bag and said:
“Here, use mine.”
Two minutes later, my shirt returned to its normal state.
The work on that day was also completed successfully.
But I have always remembered that moment in my heart.
Because I realized:
Professionalism? Sometimes it just needs a neatly pressed shirt.
Over the years, I have used many portable steamers and have also fallen into some very real traps.
It's not theory.
It's the hard-earned lesson that was purchased with real money.
Problem 1: Buying something too heavy
Once, I bought a model that looked very premium.
It has many functions.
The design is very beautiful.
The only problem is --
It's too heavy.
In less than five minutes, my wrist began to protest.
Later, that machine just lay in the closet all the time.
Like an abandoned piece of exercise equipment.
Problem 2: The water tank is too small
Once again, I bought a particularly compact steamer.
It looks very exquisite.
It is very suitable for travel.
Result:
To steam a shirt, you need to add water twice.
That really can drive people crazy.
Especially when you are in a hurry.
Problem 3: Startup is too slow
If a steam engine takes three minutes to release steam,
you will soon lose your patience.
Real life is not an advertisement.
No one is willing to stand there and stare blankly at the machine.
Later, I gradually developed a very simple criterion for judgment.
Not watching the advertisement.
Not looking at the parameters.
Instead, they ask themselves a question:
Will it make me feel more relaxed?
If the answer is:
Meeting
Then it is a good tool.
Once, I used a portable steamer at a colleague's place, and it left a deep impression on me.
It was at the back of a wedding venue.
The scene is very busy.
There are a lot of people.
The time is very tight.
The bride's dress had just been taken out of the bag and was all wrinkled.
We are all thinking:
This is going to be troublesome.
At this moment, a colleague took out a small steamer from his bag and said:
“Relax, I got this.”
The one she used was from Nesugar.
At that time, I didn't look into the model and didn't inquire about the price.
But I remember one thing:
It's very fast.
And it is very quiet.
In that tense situation, this sense of stability is truly very important.
If this is your first time using the portable steamer, I have a few practical tips for you.
It's not about technology.
It's about experience.
Hang up the clothes.
Don't put it on the bed.
Really.
Hang it up and the effect will be much better.
Walk from top to bottom
Don't sway back and forth.
Just like brushing your teeth, it has a fixed direction.
Thick clothes. Slightly pull them.
For example:
Cowboy
Suits
Coat
Gently pull the hem and steam it.
It will be faster.
Don't stand too close.
Keep a little distance.
Steam will work by itself.
You don't need to assist it.
Finally, I would like to say something very simple but very true.
Many people believe that improving the quality of life requires major changes.
Actually, it isn't.
Sometimes, it's just a small tool.
For example:
A good pair of scissors
A pair of comfortable shoes
Or a reliable portable steamer for clothes
It won't make your life dramatic.
But it will make many minor troubles disappear.
And when these minor troubles decrease,
you will suddenly realize:
Things have become a little more manageable.
Just a little bit.
But it's already quite good.
